


Another Life, Another Place

by Mexsikana



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Badass Toph Beifong, Crazy Azula (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh (Avatar) loves Tea, Minor Aang/Toph Beifong, Minor Sokka/Suki, One-sided Aang/Katara (Avatar), Past Aang/Katara (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Slow Romance, Sokka & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Toph Being Awesome, Unrequited Crush, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), Zutara Month, Zutara Month 2020, Zutara Week
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24875452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mexsikana/pseuds/Mexsikana
Summary: With Katara's relationship with Aang behind her, her future is uncertain. Now the Gaang is back together in the fire nation for the foreseeable future, will Zuko and Katara find their chemistry anew, or will they continue to be even more blind than the best earthbender ever? Slow burn Zutara, will they, won't they?
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 22
Collections: Zutara Month 2020, Zutara ♥





	1. Chapter 1

Katara's soft, chocolate curls whipped her face, and she winced. The wind had been almost as violent as the man who they were going to see had been throughout his life, but at last they could see the shore.

Toph beamed. "Is that land?"

"I can never get used to you doing that," Suki chimed. "How could you tell?" Her usual smirk, sunnier on her bare, dewy face. Without the typical Kyoshi warrior paint, she was uncommonly pretty, and lately, more so.

"That's easy, two-fer," she turned to Suki. "The waves are hitting the shore; some of them return, and I can feel their vibrations bounce against the hull of the ship."

"Amazing," Suki said, smiling. Her smile turned into a giggle at the sight of Katara swatting hair away from her line of sight.

"Plus, you know, I heard them ring a bell a few minutes ago."

"I still can't believe he's dead." Unaware of her friend's bemusement, Katara's attention was on the shore and the uncertain future the Fire Nation held.

"It's gonna be weird," said Toph.

"Well, believe it, and weird, sure, but good riddance!" Sokka approached the trio from behind, grimacing at the dock far up ahead as though it were the man himself. "Anyway, we're close enough now. You should change, Suki."

"As brilliant as I think it is, I still find your plan a little much, don't you think?"

Sokka came around and cupped Suki's face with one hand thumbing her cheek. "I don't want to take any chances in case that crazy woman shows up. Not now."

Suki sighed, and followed Katara and Toph into the cabins, whilst Sokka settled his gaze on the horizon. Something about going to see that man one last time seemed off. Way off.

...

"Yeesh, I can hear your gulping all the way in the galley."

"I keep thinking he isn't dead, and this is all a trap." Katara turned to Toph and her servants, smiling carefully. "I'm just glad Aang won't be joining us for a few days. Just in case."

"Always such a worrywart. Let's go, Sugar Queen, before Sokka pops a vein or something."

They joined Sokka as the ship nestled into the dock. A sizable Fire Nation guard awaited them. One man stood among them.

"Does he always have to be so flashy?" Sokka rolled his eyes.

After the war, and a few personal projects along the way, they each got busy, and then busier, and saw less of each other. But every time Katara saw one of the Avatar's family, she relished in it.

Katara's smile widened; her heart nearing her throat. A year. It had been a year since they last had seen Fire Lord Zuko. And each time she saw him, he seemed to grow taller, more successful, more intimidating, leaving her behind in everything perhaps but skill.

Sokka had gotten married, trained elite warriors and was in line to become the next Chief of the south pole Water Tribe. Toph was becoming a genius in her own right, finding ways to bend metal and teaching it. Aang was committed to making up a hundred years spent frozen to those he felt indebted to, rebuilding what was lost in the long war. And her? All Katara had done was continue to teach waterbending and healing, and take care of grandmother.

Katara sighed. Or at least she must have.

"You're overthinking it," Toph said, catching Katara's elbow with hers enough to rock the waterbender from her thoughts. "We're just here to make sure a dead guy is dead, and can never come out of his tomb."

"We are _also_ here for our friend," Karara reminded her.

Sokka inserted himself between his sister and the earthbender, and pointedly looked at the latter. "You're still gonna do that rockslide thingy on his grave, right?"

Toph only grinned, and Katara rolled her eyes and straightened her blue tunic as the ship stretched its ramp upon the Fire Nation land. She and Sokka exchanged glances before he took his place behind the captain of the ship as they lined up to descend.

As Katara stood behind Sokka, whilst Captain Bato exchanged very formal pleasantries with the Fire Lord, with Toph behind her mockingly making gagging sounds, she took notice of how clammy her hands had suddenly become and quickly wiped them on the seams of her tunic.

As always, Zuko seemed to surprise them. After the formality with the captain, the Fire Lord then turned to his friends and addressed them together as one. As family. And that was all it took for Katara to cut the distance and embrace him. She hugged him the way she did anyone she cared about, the way she wished she had done to her mother one last time; she squeezed him tightly with all her love behind it, and he wrapped his arms around her waist the way he had grown accustomed to with the Master waterbender.

"Thank you guys for coming," he said as she pulled away, a somber look sat on his face. Suddenly, the jokes Toph and Sokka had exchanged the night before, about Ozai, didn't seem so funny anymore. Even after everything, or despite everything, the would-be Phoenix King still held the affection of Zuko. His was a heart of gold. Though no one could understand how Zuko could ever care or mourn for such a tyrant, they learned long ago Zuko's honor was more about his character, than whatever happened around or to him.

"Come, let's go to the palace." He said, stepping aside, waving them towards a wagon. "It was long journey without Appa; you guys must be tired and hungry."

Without a beat missed, Sokka agreed. "I could eat."


	2. Chapter 2

Not for the first time that day, Zuko found himself again at the body of his father. Even now, some part of him longed to connect with Ozai, to feel a closeness to him, some kinship that would assure him he was fit to hold the throne, as generations did before him. 

Zuko's nose wrinkled, a mismatch to the smoothed and fitted robes he wore as uniform, as the stench of his rotting father grew more present. Despite the north pole Water Tribe ambassador's aides coming to delay the inevitable, the days since the passing had taken a toll on the corpse. And Zuko's sanity. 

Even in his final days, Ozai had refused Zuko any kindness, any dignity, any sign of having love for his son or his people. Even when Zuko begged him to eat, to not give up, to live alongside him a life of redemption, a life _for_ his people and not _through_ them; Ozai had only glared with disgust clear on his sallow, sunken face. 

Flames flared out of Zuko's fingertips and he growled as he turned away to leave. His steps were cut short at the exit, however, by a familiar pair of milky eyes and a smirk that rarely left her face whenever she was staying at the palace. 

"Toph," Zuko exhaled, eyes wide in surprise. 

"Hey. Nice haircut." Her matter-of-fact tone almost always threw him off. You just never knew with Toph. 

He frowned. "Uh, thanks… I think."

"Between you and me, the man bun really got old there. You pull the messy look well. At least some people say." Toph shrugged.

"What?" 

"Don't look at me; I can't even see!"

The crease between his eyes deepeed, and suddenly his long legs weren't enough to keep up with the short woman's stride. "W-who? Who says my hair looks messy? How, why, has _everyone_ talked about this? Toph!"

The earthbender waved him off, as she walked along the hall beside them, ignoring Zuko as he went after her. "Where's Iroh?" Toph asked. "The old man owes me, and I'm here to collect."

"What?" Zuko sighed. He knew better than to push Toph--he'd have better luck pushing a mountain. Less stubborn. "He's forcing the kitchen staff to try his latest tea imports." 

"Thanks!" She smiled and quickened her pace. Maybe to try an exotic new tea. Maybe to see an old friend. Maybe to avoid any further questions about his hair.

"Wait, where are your bags?" Zuko called after her, this time meeting her walk. "You just got here. Surely you're not already settled in your room."

"What are servants for?" A toothy grin appeared on her pale face. 

Zuko squinted, no longer sure the encrypted information he had last gotten from Sokka had been accurately decoded. 

"But isn't one of your servants-"

"Yup."

"And isn't she-"

"Uh huh."

"You know Katara will end up doing the work, right?"

"You think so, huh?" And with that, Toph left the Fire Lord behind before he could protest. Not that there was anything Zuko could realistically do. He watched Toph find her way expertly toward the kitchens, making herself at home, like she always did when she called on the Fire Nation on business, and non-business matters.

He walked to the informal dining room to await the others, running a nervous hand through his shaggy hair as he did so, deciding to think nothing of Toph's cryptic compliment. Definitely nothing. 

There, Zuko found Sokka, who was doing some waiting of his own. Desperate blue eyes glued on the approaching tray of bread and butter.

"Oh, hey Sokka, I didn't expect to see you down so soon. Listen, I wanted to thank you for--"

"Hey, Zuko, yeah, yeah, no problem."

Zuko also knew better than to come between Sokka and dinner. And Sokka and lunch. And breakfast. And snacks. 

"Well, thanks. Dinner should be here shortly," Zuko said. He took a seat at the head of the table, adjacent to his friend. "That is, if Uncle doesn't keep the staff much longer."

Zuko suppressed a smile; razzing Sokka never got old.

Sokka groaned and sank in his chair, grabbing a spiced bread slice as it finally made its way onto the table. He tore into it and barely swallowed before speaking.

"You don't have to thank us for coming, you know."

"I understand." Zuko did not, in fact, understand. But he didn't feel like asking either. 

Zuko looked askance at something or another on the floor. Even if it had been well over a decade since Zuko joined the ragtag family, Ozai was the reason Sokka and Katara didn't have a mother. His family was the reason Aang had lost it all. And Zuko the reason the group had endured so much needless trouble and setbacks during the war. 

Maybe they were happy to see Ozai in such a state, and that's why they were here. If that was the case, he couldn't blame them. He wouldn't. Not when a small part of him felt relief over his father's death, too. 

Sokka took another bread slice. "I wasn't sure what coming here for the ceremony would do, or even if it might make things worse for you at the helm," he confessed. "But we all know what a big deal this is for the Fire Nation and for you. Besides, none of us would hear the end of it if Katara found out we weren't all coming to support you."

"Then again, would Katara be Katara if she wasn't mothering us around?" Toph entered from the kitchens, holding a cup of tea close to her chest. Iroh followed right behind, teapot in one hand, and from the other, a small array of cups hung on his fingers. 

"Welcome back, young Sokka, it is always good fortune to see you, especially when we bet on games," Iroh said as he sat at the other side of Zuko. "Where might your lovely Kyoshi bride be? And did she bring that beautiful mother of hers?"

" _Uncle_ ," Zuko warned through gritted teeth as he helped his uncle settle the cups on the table before they had a chance to fall.

"What? It's polite to ask after a friend's family, Fire Lord Zuko."

Sokka pointed a half eaten slice of bread at the old man and shook his head; he was onto him. 

"Suki and her _very_ married mom are staying at the south pole for now. My dad can't lead the tribe and give Gran Gran the help she needs while we are away. It was Suki's idea." He beamed between bites. "Smart. I know, I know. I'm a lucky man."

"Perhaps a visit to your father should be in order soon," Iroh said, pouring a very sweet smelling tea into Sokka's cup. 

The group sipped on tea and talked about their long journey to the Earth Kingdom to pick up Toph, and finally to the Fire Nation. They spoke of good rumors, bad gossip, and how Aang's latest project led him and some earthbender friends to rebuild the air temples so the legacy of the monks might be continued.

Curious, Zuko had leaned in to listen as Sokka detailed the Avatar's latest exploits, for any hint at the reason for the famed couple's breakup a mere three months back. As far as Zuko knew, and it wasn't far at all, it had been amicable. No more meaningful information had been relayed to him. He glanced at Toph, who might just have more information to share with enough drinks in her. But no. If Aang or Katara wanted him to know details, he would already know. 

As if summoned, Katara arrived, wearing a floor-length crimson Fire Nation dress that would cover her well in the chill of the coming evening. The design went high on her neck, puffed at the sleeves towards the wrists, and fit her figure until dropping off at her hips. Zuko sipped his cooled tea, hoping to ease how warm the temperature had gotten; he mused it seemed maybe the staff had begun to close the palace windows earlier than usual. Much earlier, judging by the heat hitting his face. 

Katara was always kind enough to wear Fire Nation garments when she visited in the past, and her respect for his world continued to humble him. She took the closest available seat, next to Sokka, and suddenly the vast room felt smaller, cozier, with almost everyone back together. 

"Sorry I took long," she said apologetically, and with a pointed look at Toph, continued. "Someone has clearly let having servants go to their head."

"That's not a very nice thing to say about our host, Katara," Toph tutted, causing Katara to roll her eyes.

Sokka cut in before any more retorts could be exchanged. "We were just talking about Aang, and his soon-to-be monasteries."

"It is a valiant and honorable goal the Avatar has," Iroh said, pouring piping tea into Katara's cup. "But there has been no word on any airbender born since before the war."

"Aang hopes that will change," Katara said. "With waterbenders, earthbenders, and firebenders being born each day, I've no doubt we'll see a surge of airbenders soon enough. In fact, I think there's a good chance some airbenders have already been born, they just haven't been discovered yet." 

"Ever the optimist," Toph shook her head. 

"I hope you're right, Katara," Zuko said, unafraid of who might hear him. He meant it, too. His family had caused a devastating loss through the nations, but the airbenders had had it worse than most. 

After dinner, the conversation weaved in and out of serious and diverse topics, none of which were the reason they were all gathered. Hours went by until finally, Sokka decided to burst the safety bubble the group had made for itself.

"Now, about Azula."


	3. Chapter 3

Zuko gave Sokka and the rest of the group the latest reports and information he had on his sister and her maniac friends. He relayed that children were still going missing now and then, but were now returned a short time later with scars similar to his. He had dedicated a special taskforce to the protection of children, and another to finding her hideouts. Neither had been particularly successful, save for the last child, whose capture had been thwarted. 

"Better than nothing if you ask me," Toph said. 

"My sister is not an immediate threat in the way you think, though," Zuko said blankly. 

"Come again?" Sokka arched a brow so high, it traveled halfway to his hairline. 

"Whether it's the presence of more guards, or the foiled attempt that is throwing her, Azula hasn't made a move in a while. Children are safer for one reason or another, but I can't guarantee their safety until my sister is captured again."

Sokka scoffed. "Zuko, she's a creepy, insane monster who comes into your room at least once a month to taunt you when she thinks you're asleep. Without you, missing kids are going to be the Fire Nation's smallest problem." 

"She hasn't tried to hurt me since we searched for Mother and--"

Sokka hit his forehead and leant forward. "Yet. She hasn't tried to hurt you, _yet_." Sokka sighed. "Look, Zuko, buddy, I get your _thing_ is to believe people can change or whatever, but trust me, she's got a target on your back. That hasn't changed since we were teens, and it never will. We just don't know her weapon of choice this time."

"My immediate concerns right now are the children of the Fire Nation, and Ozai's loyalists," Zuko said. "If they get any traction, it could undo everything I've worked for in order to integrate us into the rest of the world as allies and friends."

"Katara! Please!" Sokka yelped, rubbing his temples in frustration, extending his arm towards Zuko. It had been a long day of traveling, dinner without mention of dessert, and dealing with Zuko being so nicey-nice about his evil sister who may as well be called Ozai junior; things were all taking a toll. And right now, he either wanted to stuff his face into some sugary confection, or wrap his arms around Suki and go to sleep. But evidently, neither was happening. 

Katara placed a hand on her brother's shoulder to calm him. 

"I think Sokka's right about this," she began, her voice soft and patient. "Azula is far too unpredictable to write off as a threat to your safety."

"I'm more worried about her being put on the throne by old men who are too stubborn to give up." Zuko then turned to Iroh, "no offense, Uncle."

"None taken, with age comes wisdom, and perhaps a shrinking group of friends and people who care about you," he said and poured himself another cup of the nearly empty second pot of tea. "You should listen to yours while you have them."

Toph shook her head. "If Coo-coozula wanted to hurt Zuko, don't you think she'd have already done it?"

"No," Sokka and Katara said at once. 

"Now more than ever, Zuko's safety is at risk," said Katara, and she pulled her chair closer towards the table, as though it helped her reach her friends when words couldn't. "We need to take this seriously. With Ozai gone, I believe Azula could become…"

"Even more unhinged?" Iroh offered, glimmering eyes peered over his cup. 

"Even more crazy?" Sokka followed.

"Even more loopy?" Toph added.

"More unstable, yes." Katara nodded and wrapped her fingers around her now empty cup. "Look at it this way, Zuko, your protection and well-being also means you get to keep fighting to mould the Fire Nation into the one you always envisioned."

-

It must have been some sort of gift, but Katara always seemed to get through to Zuko in the simplest ways.

With the debate over Azula settled, a general plan on necessary precautions was being discussed between Sokka and long-time ally, Admiral Jeong Jeong, in the war room for the sake of privacy. The rest of the group had migrated to a room which had once been Azulon's preferred tea room, but Iroh freely turned into a comfortable haven with a tea station and game tables aplenty.

Once there, Iroh easily goaded Toph into a game whose prize would be Sokka's missing coin pouch with assorted Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom money that Toph had heard fall during dinner as the warrior adjusted his pants to make room for seconds. Katara and Zuko opened the doors to the gardenview and sat at a table there.

The orange sunset haze painted the pruned bushes of the garden and looked as though it was perfectly designed by nature itself for the Fire Nation. The two friends stared into the distance towards the splendor. Whether they actually were admiring it, was a different story. 

Katara could see a familiar stiffness on Zuko's wide shoulders. Suddenly she didn't feel so bad for her position as a teacher. 

"What's on your mind?" She finally asked him. 

"There's rallies led by Ozai's loyalists, and they're getting more attention every day," he replied, eyes trained on the horizon. His voice was terse, though not in the rude way that had once been his signature in bygone years. Just, tense. 

"But this is your destiny, Zuko, and the people of the Fire Nation have come to respect and care for their new leader. Even Azula can't take that away."

"I know," Zuko said, his voice quieter, strained, "it's just… I don't know." He rubbed his hands on his face to mask his frustration if only for a moment and let them fall on the table, wishing there was a cup of something, _anything_ to grab onto.

Zuko cleared his throat. "I guess I'm not so sure of myself."

"What's got you feeling this way?"

He settled into a heavy silence, unable to find his voice from a lump in his throat, with Toph and Iroh laughing in the background. When he didn't answer, Katara reached across the table and covered his fist with her small hand. His skin was scorching, which made Katara think he was holding back his ire.

"I think I have an idea what's going on," said Katara, searching for his bright, hazel eyes as she squeezed his hand without letting go. "I think you're mourning the loss of your father, and feel a little insecure now because he's gone."

Zuko looked down. He could feel the warmth of her skin on his with her comforting touch, and found himself feeling weaker for it. With a silent prayer for strength to his ancestors, he swallowed the lump in his throat at last.

"That's impossible," he said. "He was a monster till the day he died."

"He was still your dad," Katara kept her hold, even when she could feel Zuko try and fail to pull away in anger. 

Her grip softened when his gaze finally met hers. "Katara, you don't have to do this, to say any of this. My father--Ozai," he corrected himself, "he was a tyrant to the world. He was death incarnate. He wanted to bring suffering to anyone who wouldn't bow to us, to him."

"Zuko," Katara cut in and this time encased his hands with both of hers, to shield him from the harshness of a truth he had never wanted to face so directly but perhaps needed to. "He was _still_ your dad. Whatever else he was. And you can still feel his loss. You can still _miss_."

Zuko hung his head. "You don't understand," he whispered, "Ozai was no father to me."

"But I can try to understand," she said, a sad smile on her face, moving a hand to his forearm to give him a little shake. "I don't think you realize it, Zuko, but you lost your dad a long, long time ago. Long before this."

The Fire Lord looked up at this, her words hitting something in him for the first time. "I guess you're right," he said, bringing his fingertips to his scar without thinking. 

"His death," Katara continued, this time, leaning into the ornate back of her seat. "Well, his death was the end of who he was meant to be to you. Maybe that's why you're mourning. Maybe that's what you miss." 

"How can you miss something you never had?" 

"Easier than you think." Katara looked away from Zuko for the first time since before the war came to an end, and pulled her arms into an embrace to cocoon herself. "I was too young when my mom died. I was too young to have been able to learn how to cook from her; yet I miss not having been able to do that. I miss her counsel if I'm ever troubled, even though I was too young to have been in need of it when I lost her. And when I get married, I'll miss her there. When I have children, I'll miss her too."

Tears welled in her eyes, and it was Zuko whose hand reached across the table, but remained void of hers. They sat in silence for a time. Katara looked up briefly into the vast sky, wishing she was up there. Not flying on an airship or on Appa. Just there, among the stars. Just a star, casting light, impermeable to pain and sorrow.

"Every hour of every day, my body, my mind, my spirit, miss her in one way or another." She finally took his offer and squeezed his hand tightly for a moment in thanks. "So if you find yourself missing him, or something about him, or even the idea of him, don't be too hard on yourself. But don't forget how far you've come, and to cherish what you _do_ have." 

A small smile escaped him. Despite everything, Sokka wasn't the only lucky one. Zuko was surrounded by fortune and the love of real family. He followed her line of sight over her shoulder, watching as Iroh placed a tile on the battlemap to take Toph's fastest ship. The old man laughed with gusto, whilst his companion pointed at the board, enraged, barking about the rules.

Zuko felt his hand instantly grow cold when Katara took hers back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to write to the south pole. Let them know we got here just fine. And just in case you need anything, I'll probably be helping Toph's entourage." She planted a soft kiss on his forehead as she stood to leave. The air about him already chilling as she walked back into the room. 

Zuko finished watching the sunset, mulling over Katara's words. The ghost of her lips accidentally etched into the memory of his skin like an insignia of comfort. And there was strength in the comfort of loved ones, he realized. He joined his uncle and Toph at their table, awaiting the next game to begin so he could play too. And just like that, his resolve was made: neither he nor his people could afford for him to waste time feeling insecure. 

Mourning would come, and he would honor it. But he knew who he was, and what needed to be done to continue rebuilding all his father had torn. Nothing, not his sister, not some fervent Ozai fanatics would prevent him doing so.


	4. Chapter 4

The heavy ivory and gold robes the group was made to wear were making Sokka itchy and he tried his hardest not to stealthily scratch his arm, or his leg, or his chest, or his everywhere. Toph wasn't too bothered by the fabric, as much as she was bothered by having to wear the matching shoes and it took all her care for Zuko to not cross her arms and sulk. As for Katara, she stood behind them, hitting her head against a pillar repeatedly, or at least in her mind she was. She wanted to go back inside where she wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

She wondered what Zuko and Iroh had been thinking, having a waterbender in the place where the Fire Lord's family is supposed to be at the passing ceremony. What was more puzzling was how she ever agreed it was a good idea in the first place. Sure, the people here had come a long way in a very short time since Zuko took over. Her mind raced to find memories of all the bad ideas she had ever agreed to, deciding this was definitely the most inappropriate, most disrespectful to an entire nation, of them all.

A unison of war drums announced the end of the priest's last sacrament for the deceased, and the beginning of the Fire Lord's speech. 

Zuko left his uncle's side and walked to his place, front and center of the marble stairs, to address his people. He wore his hair neatly styled in a wolf's tail like Sokka showed him the night before when he began to get nervous. The flame crown sat atop his head, and the glaring sun made it seem like the metal itself was afire. His shoulders squared, his every step steady. He made for an imposing image, one to behold whether friend or foe.

"Thank you all for coming. I want you all to know, I care deeply for _each_ and _every_ one of you. That is why I refuse to lie to you. We deserve better than that." His voice carried well, even among the thousands that had managed entry to the ceremony.

"We are here not to honor the memory of a man. But instead, to learn from it and acknowledge the closing of a long chapter, and continuation of a new one.

"Far too long, the Fire Nation was the cause of terror, hardship, and anguish. That, _that_ is what my father wanted us to be. That is his legacy. In turn, we, as a nation, as a people, became symbols of oppression and apathy, of enmity and cruelty. 

"But that is not who we are. And that is not _our_ legacy," the Fire Lord paused, forced to, by roar of his people, some cheering, some chanting his name. Katara felt her heart rising with them, proud. She could hear Sokka sniffling beside her.

"Together we have built the foundation of something better for ourselves, our children, and the world. Our legacy is not to be feared, but respected. It is not to be seen as bullies who abuse others, but allies and friends to rpely on and connect with. And although our differences with those of other nations may be many, I promise you we are a lot more alike than you think. No better, no worse." 

The crowd quieted. Katara worried maybe Zuko was trying to do too much. Going too fast. But then, he'd been their leader for a long time. And the crowd, well, they seemed to listen. Really listen.

"I stand before you, with my family, and my friends behind me." Katara felt her face get too hot for comfort. 

"Most of which are from different lands and customs than ours. And although once upon a time I might have thought them as enemies, that wasn't the real me. Just like I know it isn't the real you either.

"With the ink now fully dry on our previous chapter, I urge you: if you still think we should be feared and not befriended, if you haven't already, set sail to the North and South Poles, where the Water Tribes will teach you all about penguin sledding, and ice toboggans. Or catch an airship to the Earth Kingdom, where you'll find exciting new tea blends and can show off your firebending in their Lei Tai tournaments. But if you'd rather stay home, and you see someone from another land, open your heart and your mind to a new friend. I guarantee you, it'll be well worthwhile.

"For now, as one nation, let us learn from our past, and persist forward in peace together, as we continue this new era in our lives without looking back."

-*.*-*.*-*.*-

Iroh had been the one to signal Sokka, Toph, and Katara it was time to go back inside. 

"Uh, shouldn't we get Zuko and that priest?" Sokka asked as he began taking off his ceremonial robes. A member of the palace staff appeared beside him and slapped his hands away feverishly, muttering how there was a certain order about things that must be followed.

Iroh closed his eyes and spread his arms out, as another staff member carefully and meticulously removed the robes. 

"The priest must remain outside until the body turns to dust. As for Zuko, well, you know how he is," Iroh said.

Sokka mirrored Iroh, and waited for the staff to free him from his itchy prison. "I wouldn't blame the guy if he wanted to make sure he wasn't being duped," Sokka replied, quickly followed by, "why are these so itchy!" earning him a chuckle from Iroh. 

Katara, who had followed Iroh's example too, had a very fast woman helping her. "Really? Mine weren't itchy at all. I'm just happy to be back inside," sighed the waterbender.

A different woman began aiding Toph out of hers. "Me too; though, _I'm_ just glad somebody finally took the trash out of the palace. This place was really starting to stink!" Her nose wrinkled as she spoke.

Katara's eyes widened, mortified at what the staff would think of them. "Toph," she whispered, "I think that was Zuko's dad."

"I know what I said." The woman currently helping Toph out of her shoes giggled quietly, and the one who had just finished folding Katara's robes snorted. 

A commotion behind them erupted, Sokka fell, with an arm in a battle with a sleeve, as he squirmed against the man who had been attempting to get him out of the robes. "Get it off, get it if, get it off!"

"Sir, _I am trying_!"

"Not the dress! The bug, the bug!"

Iroh, who was already in the clothes he wore beneath, walked slowly over to Sokka, and with all the grace a well-fed belly of many years could allow, he gingerly struck at a seemingly random spot on Sokka's bare chest.

"Ah," he began, and held a bright red bug between his thumb and finger. "The firepit spider, harmless and nutritious." He nodded to himself. "Or, it could be a deadly woolwolf hunting spider."

"The _what_?" 

"We'll find out in about six hours."


End file.
